JBL S9800 (Late 1990s)

The JBL S9800 was the flagship of JBL's premium S-series, introduced in the late 1990s as a direct descendant of the Project Everest DD55000. It's a 3-way, 4-driver floor-standing loudspeaker that moved several Everest technologies into a package a normal house can handle. The biggest one is pure beryllium domes for both the 1-inch tweeter and the 4-inch midrange, borrowed straight from the Everest. Those drivers are paired with dual 10-inch aluminum-cone woofers in a vented cabinet. The crossover is 3rd-order Butterworth at 800Hz and 4kHz, built with air-core inductors and film capacitors.

The specs that appear consistently across sources: frequency response of 30Hz–40kHz (±3dB), sensitivity of 91dB (2.83V/1m), nominal impedance of 6 ohms, and dimensions of 1,150 × 360 × 410mm at 41kg per speaker. Power handling is rated at 200 watts RMS / 400 watts peak, with a recommended amplifier range of 50–300 watts per channel. The cabinet is internally braced 25mm MDF with real wood veneer, available in Cherry or Black lacquer, and the input terminals are bi-wireable 5-way binding posts — the crossover sections for HF and LF are separate, so the speaker is designed for bi-wiring or bi-amping.

The sources disagree on the port location. One describes a front-firing port. Another describes a rear port that needs significant space behind the speakers. The more detailed setup criticism specifically mentions rear-port spacing needs, so the rear port seems more likely, but the documentation never settles it. The port is tuned to approximately 30Hz.

Period coverage is thin. Audiophile (Second Quarter, p.23) noted the S9800 at a demo alongside the X-01 and UX-1 players, both priced at $13,000, with JBL's Chief Development Engineer Greg Timbers in attendance.

On the used market, pairs have been reported selling anywhere from $3,500 (a 2015 purchase with original boxes) to $4,000-$6,000, depending on condition and finish. Owners praise the dynamic range and the transparency of the beryllium tweeter. They also warn that the domes dent easily, and replacement diaphragms are expensive and hard to find. The crossover capacitors may drift with age, and some owners have recapped theirs. These speakers are unforgiving with poor recordings, and they show everything.

Type: 3-way, 4-driver, floor-standing loudspeaker
Drivers: 1" beryllium dome tweeter, 4" beryllium dome midrange, dual 10" aluminum-cone woofers
Crossover: 3rd-order Butterworth at 800Hz, 4kHz
Frequency response: 30Hz–40kHz (±3dB)
Impedance: 6 ohms
Sensitivity: 91dB (2.83V/1m)
Dimensions: 1,150 × 360 × 410mm (H×W×D)
Weight: 41 kg per speaker